Eat – Drink – Stay – Play: The Hottest Happenings for August

August 10, 2015

Peak summer (supposedly!) and school hols make for a busy month in August. But be sure to put some time aside to check out this month’s rather fine new happenings – guaranteed to re-define how you drink cocktails, eat burgers and get from the top of a hotel to the bottom. Intrigued? All is revealed below…

AUGUST

EAT //

Yeah Burger – London

(Credit: Yeah! Burger)

Stop. Everything.

Somewhere in London, burgers have been fumbling around in dark corners with scotch eggs… and together they’ve given birth to a monster. A monster we just can’t wait to meet.

Yes, the Scotch Egg Burger is a real life, (not quite living) thing. And you can try one today.

This mother of all foodie hybrids is the brainchild of the guys at Yeah! Burger, and it’s been created to celebrate the Edinburgh Festival. Which unfortunately means it’s only temporary. (Boo!)

So be quick and get yourself down to either The Star of Kings in Kings Cross, or Strongroom Bar in Shoreditch, where these meaty mutations are available until 22 August only.

DRINK //

Drinking is so last year. It’s all about inhaling now, don’t you know.

Well that’s what Bombas & Parr seem to be telling us with the opening of their Alcoholic Architecture ‘bar’ at Borough Market – awalk-in cloud bar of breathable cocktails.

Because actual drinking is just too much like hard work.

Described as a ‘fully immersive alcohol environment’ the cocktail cloud here contains a mesmerising mix of fine spirits and is designed to be breathed in, so that the alcohol enters the bloodstream through the lungs, nice and quickly. Although the eye-balls do a job of taking in the alcohol too, apparently.

Which either sounds scary or fun. But we’re going with fun.

You book in 50 minute time slots and get a special suit to wear while you’re at it.

STAY //

The Shankly Hotel – Liverpool

If you’re a Liverpool hotel naming yourself after one of Liverpool’s most iconic sporting legends, you better make sure you’re creating something pretty special.

Fortunately, The Shankly Hotel looks like it’s more than capable of living up to its eponymous name. We say ‘looks like’ because at the time of writing, The Shankly Hotel is so new it isn’t even open yet.

Yep, this new luxury Liverpool stay, brought to you by the same people behind Liverpool’s Titanic-themed 30 James Street Hotel, is opening its doors on the 15th August. Which means you could genuinely be one of the very first to experience it.

Naturally there’s a Bill Shankly museum here, featuring never before seen memorabilia. But don’t for a minute think that this is just a football hotel. It’s as much about style, fun and frivolity as it is the beautiful game.

Alongside the 63 luxurious rooms there are two restaurants, a rooftop garden with 360 degree views of the city and an infinity pool on its way and, wait for it… The Serpent!

The Serpent is a 100ft chrome corkscrew slide that runs from the very top to the very bottom of the building. See, we told you it was all about fun.

And if you’re really up for a party, the Signature Living Party Apartments here sleep up to 9 people.

We sense there’s definitely some good times coming when this hotel opens its doors.

PLAY //

We couldn’t do an August feature with throwing in one for the kids during the school holidays…

OK, who are we kidding! We’re just as excited as the youngsters (probably more so) about the brand new Islands project at Chester Zoo. And it’s not hard to see why.

Billed as the biggest zoo project in UK history, Chester Zoo has recreated the tropical environments of South East Asia for their Islands exhibition, focussing on six islands and the conservation work the zoo do in the wild.

(Credit: www.chesterzoo.org)

Providing around 60,000m2 of immersive surroundings to explore, Islands is complete with native animals for each island and even has a Lazy River Boat tour to help you explore the islands from a different perspective.

(Credit: www.chesterzoo.org)

Phase 1 is open now, featuring the islands of Bali, Panay, Papua, Sumba and Sulawesi.

Phase 2 will open later in the summer to include a Monsoon Forest and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.